


Poppies and Lilies

by clarkjoekent



Series: KakaGai Week 2020 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, KakaGai Week 2020, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 06:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28346787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/pseuds/clarkjoekent
Summary: Healing comes at the cost of immense grief.KakaGai Week 2020 Day Two - Prompt: Flowers
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Series: KakaGai Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075943
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30
Collections: KakaGai Week 2020 entries





	Poppies and Lilies

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to skip day one of Kakagai week and come back to it later. So technically I'm starting the week off with angst.

Gai placed the lilies on the white stone in front of him, he moved the older ones to the grass. The sky was dark and grey, a storm threatened to blow through and he was hoping that the flowers would stay in place over the high winds. 

Not that he wasn’t going to just replace them the next day, a routine he has fallen into easily. He finally understood Kakashi’s routine. 

The grief was all too much to bear and the only thing that could satisfy it was visiting the stone every day. His wheelchair would get stuck in a tuft of grass and he would forgo it all together just to get to where he needed to be. 

A crack of thunder shook Gai out of his grief stricken trance. He couldn’t spend the time he really needed so he hurried. He figured he could double up for tomorrow. 

Gai sat down on the dry soft grass and placed a hand along the grooves, his heart already heavy. 

“I’m a little late today. I know you wouldn’t mind as long as I visited. I miss you, I wish I could’ve told you how great of a man you were while you were alive.” Gai felt hot tears form and spill onto his cheeks, no longer full of life - just hollow - his tired eyes lost the shine they once had. “The team has been working together, rebuilding Konoha, changing it for the better with every interaction.” 

Another loud crack and the sky began to open, his tears now mixing with the cold rain. He knew Tsunade would be angry with him if he showed up at the hospital with another fever from sitting out in the rain. 

He traced the name on the stone and then looked up towards the sky. The dark clouds broke and a small beam of light shone through making Gai smile. 

“I miss you.” 

The rain was now coming down in buckets as Gai maneuvered to his chair and back to his house. The smell of miso and eggplant hung heavy in the house. The sounds of clinking dishes and laughter can be heard from the doorway. 

Lee heard Gai come home and stepped out of the crowded kitchen, a sad smile resting on his face. 

“Sensei! You are soaked.” Lee didn’t look too worried. 

“I’ll dry off and then meet you in the kitchen.” Gai threw out his signature thumbs up at Lee who just nodded, chuckling as he made it back into the other room. 

Gai dropped the facade once his precious student left his sight. The cold water made his bones ache and his leg was throbbing. He moved stiffly to his room and dried off. If he took a long time Tenten would try and find him and he wasn’t in the mood to hear that he needed to take better care of himself. 

The whole house was dark, and quiet save the kitchen. The yellow light bounced off the white walls and it spilled out into the hallway. 

Before Gai made it into the kitchen he allowed himself a moment to breathe and hear his students and the others talk. They decided to come to him this year and make the dinner which Gai didn’t mind too much. He loved it when they all worked together. The only room in the house that offered warmth and light. 

“Sensei?” Tenten poked her head out of the doorway and Gai shook his head, getting rid of the memories of the past. 

“I got caught in the rain. Miso soup tonight?” Gai winked at his student who just rolled her eyes, used to his mood shifting already. 

“Yeah Neji found a recipe somewhere while we were unpacking the house.” 

Gai knew the recipe but kept the owner of it to himself.

“Sasuke you’re supposed to be watching the soup!” Naruto sounded frantic as the soup began to bubble dangerously close to the rim of the pot. 

“Sakura wanted me to cut the eggplant, I only have one arm.” Sasuke huffed. 

“It’s fine. It’s all done. I’ll take care of the eggplant. Just go and sit at the table.” Neji waved the arguing boys away from the stove. “This kitchen is too small for all of us.” 

“We made a deal, Neji a smaller kitchen for a bigger yard. The ninken need room to run.” Sakura pulled a pan out for the Hyuuga. 

“Yeah I know.” 

Gai watched the kids finish the meal as he sat at the table. Sasuke was insistent on not letting the dogs in the house until the food was done - Pakkun loved to get under their feet in an attempt to snatch up any fallen food. Unfortunately that meant they were outside while it was raining. Lee and Naruto had to dry them all off before they entered the house. 

The table was soon set and the kids were sitting at the table. The bright and happy mood suddenly fell and the reality of the day swept over each person. 

Gai can see Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura hesitate to say anything. There really wasn’t much they could say. Instead Gai cleared his throat and looked at each kid at the table. 

“It’s been 5 years and this still doesn’t get any better. He would be proud of what you all have achieved and we have the Ninken, memories, and recipes to honor him by.” 

“I miss him.” Sakura whispered, her eyes fixed on the vase of white poppies at the center of the table, sandwiched between Kakashi’s favorite soup and his favorite fish. 

“I miss him too.” Gai glanced at the picture of Kakashi they placed on the side table. The candle next to it flickered and then stood strong. Gai remembered waking up in the hospital asking for Kakashi as soon as his throat allowed him to. 

Neji delivered the news that Kakashi had sacrificed himself to save Naruto and Sasuke during a fight with Kaguya and Gai felt his heart shatter. 

He took it harder than he thought he would but with his team’s support he was able to pull himself out. Gai didn’t realize the hurt that ran deep into Kakashi’s own team until he saw them all at Kakashi’s gravestone huddled together. Gai made them all move in with him and his team, at least until they could live with their grief but they didn’t leave.

They stayed and helped buy a bigger house. Kakashi had given Sakura his ninken scroll and as soon as they were summoned they knew what had happened. They haven’t left their side either. 

Pakkun’s sad whine caused the other dogs to follow suit. 

“To Kakashi-sensei who sacrificed himself for us and our future.” Naruto’s bottom lip was trembling as he spoke but they all chose to ignore it for him. 

Everyone at the table nodded, a few somber smiles broke out trying to encourage the others before they all began to eat. 

Gai made sure to taste the soup. Kakashi’s recipe brought him back to a time Gai was sick and all he ate was the flavorful soup Kakashi left at his doorstep. The eggplant was exactly how Kakashi would make it. Gai almost expected to see Kakashi’s tired and mask less smile stare back at him in the kitchen. 

His biggest regret was not telling Kakashi that he loved him more.


End file.
